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Was 2021 the year cinema died? No. But it was the year cinema became a specialty product. Global box office totaled $21.3 billion—a massive rebound from 2020’s $12.8 billion, but still far below 2019’s $42.5 billion.

The savior was Spider-Man: No Way Home (December 17). The MCU threequel, leveraging multiversal nostalgia (Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returning), grossed over $1.9 billion worldwide. It reminded everyone that a communal theatrical experience—gasps, cheers, applause—cannot be replicated on a couch.

Other theatrical successes:

Notably, original adult dramas struggled. The Last Duel, Nightmare Alley, and West Side Story all bombed, signaling that mid-budget prestige films were now streaming’s domain.

In October 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set of Rust when Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm. The tragedy reignited debates about on-set gun safety, armorer protocols, and the use of real firearms in independent film production. It cast a long shadow over entertainment labor relations.

Spain’s The Platform (Netflix) found new life, while France’s Lupin (Part 2 in 2021) starring Omar Sy became Netflix’s most-watched French-language series. Mexico’s Who Killed Sara? dominated the Top 10 for weeks.

2021 saw traditional media finally capitulate to creators. MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) became a phenomenon with his Squid Game recreation video (cost: $3.5M, views: 400M+). Twitch continued its dominance in gaming, but also saw a rise in "just chatting" content.

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Xxxsonacom 2021 Site

Was 2021 the year cinema died? No. But it was the year cinema became a specialty product. Global box office totaled $21.3 billion—a massive rebound from 2020’s $12.8 billion, but still far below 2019’s $42.5 billion.

The savior was Spider-Man: No Way Home (December 17). The MCU threequel, leveraging multiversal nostalgia (Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returning), grossed over $1.9 billion worldwide. It reminded everyone that a communal theatrical experience—gasps, cheers, applause—cannot be replicated on a couch.

Other theatrical successes:

Notably, original adult dramas struggled. The Last Duel, Nightmare Alley, and West Side Story all bombed, signaling that mid-budget prestige films were now streaming’s domain.

In October 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set of Rust when Alec Baldwin discharged a prop firearm. The tragedy reignited debates about on-set gun safety, armorer protocols, and the use of real firearms in independent film production. It cast a long shadow over entertainment labor relations.

Spain’s The Platform (Netflix) found new life, while France’s Lupin (Part 2 in 2021) starring Omar Sy became Netflix’s most-watched French-language series. Mexico’s Who Killed Sara? dominated the Top 10 for weeks.

2021 saw traditional media finally capitulate to creators. MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) became a phenomenon with his Squid Game recreation video (cost: $3.5M, views: 400M+). Twitch continued its dominance in gaming, but also saw a rise in "just chatting" content.